1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a motor-vehicle front fender with a deformable sealed bulkhead.
2. Discussion of the Background
Such a fender is intended in particular to constitute front impact-absorbing means of a vehicle, between a bumper and a windshield, making it possible to absorb the energy in the event of a collision with a pedestrian, in order to limit injuries to the said pedestrian.
Motor vehicles are usually provided with a chassis and a motive power unit installed on the said chassis, and the said motive power unit is covered by a hood. The said fender prolongs the said hood while being laterally parallel to the said motive power unit, and it is braced on a side beam of the chassis. In addition, the fender is provided with an outer wall and a deformable sealed bulkhead, in order to absorb the energy in the case of collision, the said outer wall having an upper rim adapted to border the said hood, the said upper rim being prolonged by an inner flange that extends under the said hood.
The said deformable sealed bulkhead connects the said inner flange and the said chassis by extending in curved manner toward the said outer wall, between the said outer wall and the said motive power unit, in order to protect the latter, especially from upward water splashes caused in particular by the wheels of the vehicle. In addition, this deformable sealed bulkhead is adapted to collapse on itself, shifting laterally toward the said outer wall when the front fender is indented toward the said chassis under the effect of a collision. In this way, the energy absorbed by the fender is transmitted in a manner that collapses the said sealed bulkhead.
Reference can be made in particular to document DE 10233474, which describes such a device for permitting deformation of the fender.
One disadvantage of such a fender equipped with the said deformable sealed bulkhead lies in the trajectory of its movement during deformation. Effectively, this trajectory depends on the angle with which the vehicle strikes the potential pedestrian, and since it is then not controlled, it is difficult to predict the consequences, both for the pedestrian and for the vehicle.